Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup)

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! In case you have tupperware containers brimming with leftover turkey – and even if you don’t (any turkey, chicken, or ham will work beautifully), and want to share a hearty cheesilicous meal with your family, check out my Cheesy Breakfast Pot Pie with with Gouda Biscuit Crust– it is tradition worthy! And now on to a tradition of my own – Thai Food! This Tom Kha Gai, otherwise known as Chicken Coconut Soup is one of favorite soup in the world. The world I tell you.

Every special occasion – college graduation, birthdays, lung transplant anniversaries, etc., its tradition to celebrate at my favorite Thai restaurant. After a decade of ordering Panang Curry (Coconut Chicken Curry) and sampling everyone else’s dishes, I still remained faithful to my Panang Curry, nothing else tempted me. Then one fateful day, some of our friends ordered Tom Kha Gai and my world was changed forever. I cannot believe I missed out on this heaven in a bowl for so long!

The warm coconut broth is infused with lemongrass, red curry, ginger, and basil, with thinly sliced tender chicken, mushrooms and red bell peppers. Its bright and refreshing, its both light and rich at the same time, and its layers of tantalizing spices are mesmerizing. I’ve researched authentic Tom Kha Gai recipes, many of which call for some ingredients that are hard to come by, so my version contains only ingredients you can find at your local Whole Foods/Sprouts etc., but tastes every bit as authentic. The only ingredient that might be foreign to you is lemongrass, but don’t be intimidated, it is super easy to work with. You simply chop of the bottom of the stalk, peel off the outer layer and chop into thirds to fit into your pot for authentic lemon Thai coconut broth.

No pictures can do this soup justice, so I hope you trust me when I say if you like Asian food, you are going to love this soup. Please make this Tom Kha Gai soon – you don’t want to miss out on this soothing, comforting heavenly tradition any longer!

*Lemongrass is usually located next to the fresh ginger. To prepare lemongrass, cut the bottom tough end off and remove the tougher outer layer. Cut stalks into sections small enough to fit into your pot. You will remove them before serving.

Hi there, I just stumbled upon your blog (I think I googled “Thai soups”) and I made this soup last night. It is sooooooo good! Such bright and vivid flavors and pretty to boot. 🙂 I do have to admit that I did not use lemongrass. I live in the absolute middle of NOWHERE — seriously I have to drive 85 miles one way to get kalamata olives — but I used the zest of a lemon as a substitute. Still totally delicious and I can’t wait to get lemongrass (170 miles away LOL) just for this recipe. So many of your recipes look fantastic. I cannot wait to try more of them. Happy Holidays!!!!!

Hi Shelly, I am so happy you stumbled upon my blog and actually made one of my recipes already – you picked a good one 🙂 I love this soup so I am so happy you loved it too and that is great you were able to substitute lemon zest – great idea! I hope you enjoy my other recipes – most of them shouldn’t require you to drive 170 miles for any ingredients – I think this is as exotic as it gets 🙂 Happy Holidays to you and yours as well!!!

I am so in love with this soup that I’m on my third batch in just a month! Thank you so much for sharing! My mom has a big farm and grows organic lemongrass, basil, bell peppers, and ginger so I only have to stop by and pick some when I’m in the mood for this soup 🙂

Thanks so much for your comment Kori, you made my day as this is one of my favorite soups! I am thrilled you love it as much as me and oh my goodness – farm grown organic ingredients – it doesn’t get any better- heavenly! Thank you and Happy New Year!

AHHHH I am so excited about this recipe!! Tom Kha Gai is my favorite soup to order at Thai restaurants. After my last girls night, I came home and searched for a recipe for this amaze balls soup. I didn’t find any that looked very feasible to make. I am SO happy I found this recipe on your blog! I can’t wait to try it.

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